Nationwide Tour: Soggy Scarlet greets golfers

Friday

Jul 31, 2009 at 12:01 AMJul 31, 2009 at 10:24 AM

The course wasn't as the golfers remembered it.

The course wasn't as the golfers remembered it.

For Justin Bolli, neither was the result.

The Ohio State Scarlet Course that yielded an average of 18 under-par scores per day the first two years of the tournament went soft and gave up 41 in the first round of the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational yesterday.

Bolli redeemed himself with the best one, a 5-under-par 66 good enough for a one-stroke lead.

Two years ago, in his only previous visit to Scarlet, he was disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard after the first round.

"That's my history here," Bolli said.

History held little value yesterday for golfers who played here the past two years, when Scarlet was dry and fast and the winning scores of the first two Nationwide events were 5 and 6 under par, respectively.

The half-inch of rain that fell Wednesday made approach shots two clubs longer, one pro said, but golfers felt comfortable attacking the pins even with the longer clubs in their hands.

"Last year I shot 4 under in the first round, but it was a completely different kind of round as far as attacking the golf course," said Dave Schultz, among five players at 67. "I hit bouncing pitching wedges in there. Today you could fly a 6-, 7-iron right at the hole."

The Nationwide Tour's top two money-winners, Michael Sim and Kevin Johnson, who need one win to earn a promotion to the PGA Tour, will have to hurdle more than half the field to get it. Sim shot 74 and Johnson 76.

Four of the seven college amateurs in the field broke par, including Ohio State junior Bo Hoag of Upper Arlington with a 70.

While Bolli, a 33-year-old Georgian, has been back and forth between the PGA and Nationwide tours the past five years and is in position to move up again next year, his closest pursuers a stroke back have a mix of track records.

Like Bolli, Henrik Bjornstad of Norway is poised to move up. Steve Wheatcroft carried over the momentum of a season-best ninth-place finish last week. Scott Parel, Phil Tataurangi and Schultz are struggling to make cuts.

Schultz took the longest route to the leader board.

When the field closed Friday, he was the 11th alternate. By Monday night, he had moved up to fourth. Tuesday morning, he got a phone call at home in Fargo, N.D., informing him he was in the field.

"Then it was a scramble to get here," he said.

Fortunately, his father owns a small airplane.

"He does a lot of travel between New York City and back," Schultz said.

His father is Ed Schultz, host of radio and TV talk shows.

"Easiest way to put it is, he's progressive," Schultz said. "If you say Rush Limbaugh, he's the other side."

The jet wasn't available until Wednesday morning, but it got Schultz to Columbus in time for a slot in the afternoon wave of the pro-am and gave him a feel for a slower Scarlet Course than he saw a year ago. He adjusted easily.

"I was not expecting to be here, so it's all gravy this week for sure," Schultz said. "I'm a guy walking around with a smile on his face. I don't care what I'm shooting this week. I'm happy to be here."